DELMAS — Residents in Victor Khanye and Thembisile Hani local municipalities say they are struggling to access reliable water as Rand Water warns that high consumption among municipal customers is putting its bulk supply system under pressure. In a media statement issued on 20 October 2026, Rand Water warned that rising water consumption among several municipal customers was putting its bulk supply system under pressure, despite the utility pumping at maximum capacity.
The utility urged municipalities to reduce consumption in line with their allocations and warned that it could curtail supplies to customers that continue to overconsume.
According to Rand Water’s published figures, Victor Khanye Local Municipality was consuming 15 megalitres per day (ML/day), against a temporary licensed volume of 19 ML/day. Thembisile Hani Local Municipality was consuming 30 ML/day, against a temporary licensed volume of 35 ML/day.
Rand Water’s table also lists gradual-reduction targets of 2 ML/day below current consumption for Victor Khanye and 1 ML/day below current consumption for Thembisile Hani.
In Victor Khanye, Sibusiso Gregory Mkhawana said some communities along the N12 had gone months without running water.
“Our taps are dry. For the past six months, we have not seen water in some areas of N12,” Mkhawana said.
Pieter Senekal warned against further supply cuts, claiming that Victor Khanye receives only about half of the water its community needs from Rand Water each day, contributing to years of water shedding.
“With due respect to Rand Water, it will be unfair to cut the water any further. It will be inhuman to do so,” Senekal said.
Senekal argued that Rand Water should focus on improving its water-treatment capacity rather than reducing supplies further. His estimate of the gap between supply and community demand has not been independently verified. In Thembisile Hani, resident Sibusiso Kekana raised concerns about leaking infrastructure while households continue to struggle with water shortages.
“In Thembisile it leaks everywhere but the taps are dry,” Kekana said.
Rand Water’s published figures show municipal consumption against temporary licensed volumes, but do not establish the causes of the reported local shortages, total community demand or the amount of water lost through distribution networks.The Highveld Chronicle sent media inquiries to Victor Khanye Local Municipality and Thembisile Hani Local Municipality seeking comment on the reported shortages, Rand Water’s warning and the measures being taken to improve supply. Neither municipality had responded by the time of publication.
